"Damn," Sabo cursed. He clutched his midsection, which was lit up with pain. He sat with his back leaning against the far wall on the Mid. He was surrounded by bodies. The bodies of the soldiers who had been guarding Crocodile's best smuggler hole.
"Crocky's not gonna be happy about this," Sabo sighed. He removed his hand from where he clutched it at his side, and it came back highlighted in red. He rolled his eyes. Stupid fucking Cloudies. The bullet wound was slowing him down considerably. But Ace couldn't afford for Sabo to be slow.
Sabo slowly forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily on his metal pipe for support. He'd gotten stabbed by a knife in the thigh, and had earned another graze wound on his right arm. He was real damn lucky he'd been grazed twice rather than shot.
The blonde shook his head and gritted his teeth. He shouldn't have been hit at all. He was getting sloppy. Too sloppy.
He marched away from the wall and into the streets of the Mid capital's lowest floors, leaving the field of bloodied bodies in his wake. This smuggler hole was the best because it led directly to the city. Sabo couldn't afford to fuck around in the residential areas this time around.
It had been uncharacteristically difficult to pass from the Shade to the Mid. Sabo had an unpleasant taste in his mouth because of it. Military activity on the borders had been increasing steadily for the past six months, but Sabo hadn't thought much of it until now. There were so many guards. It had been so difficult getting up here, and he'd made a big assed mess to show for it. Why were they cracking down now of all times?
Sabo grumbled and shook the troublesome thoughts from his mind. It didn't matter what the hell the military did or what the hell motivated them. All that mattered was what Sabo would have to do to get onto the Clear.
He'd done it a million times before… even though those had been Shadow Market runs, when shady Cloudies with too much money to throw around paid the military off to keep the borders open. Not to mention the fact that every single time Sabo had traveled to the Clear he'd done so with Crocodile's group…
Damn it. It didn't matter. He could cross the border on his own no problem.
He just had to find a smuggling hole or make one. Not too terribly difficult. "Yeah," the blonde whispered reassuringly to himself. "I made it to the Mid, so… phase one complete." He leaned heavily against a nearby wall, quickly checking his surroundings. He'd entered the labyrinth beneath the Mid's capital city, and the surrounding tunnels appeared to be empty.
With a relieved sigh, Sabo reached into his trench coat and pulled out his communicator. The device was small and shitty, little more than a glorified walkie talkie. But it held Sabo's only connection to his little brother, so it was worth more than all the gold in the City.
He held down a worn red button on the side. The thing had been rigged to contact the communicator Luffy had and that one only. Not that the device would have been able to handle a second channel in the first place.
A gargled static erupted from the speaker, and Sabo leaned against the wall with his eyes trained on the device. Waiting for Luffy to pick up. He felt bad about leaving the little guy behind… but this was for the best. The Clear was dangerous, and Luffy didn't need to be anywhere near that god awful place. If it were up to Sabo, he'd keep him off both the Mid and the Shade entirely for the rest of his damned life. His safety was all that mattered. The Upper Layers had caused them enough trouble as it was…
The communicator clicked, and the noisy static was reduced to a low hum as the connection was made. Sabo sucked in a quick breath of relief, and brought the device close to his face, almost as if the motion brought him closer to his younger brother, who'd been left all alone on the Dregs.
A gasp sounded on the other end of the line, and the speaker clattered as Luffy fumbled with the device on the other end of the line. "S-Sabo?" he asked, sounding out of breath.
"Luffy!" the blonde exclaimed in relief. He was so glad that his little brother was safe and sound on the Dregs rather than bleeding out in a damned alleyway on the Mid.
"Uh… hey!" Luffy greeted, the communicator still shuffling about in his hands.
"I made it to the Mid," Sabo said with a smile. He left out the part where the border had been guarded to all hell, as well as the part where he'd left a massacre for the Shifties to find in his wake.
"Oh, good!" Luffy said.
"I'm one step closer to saving Ace," Sabo said with determination sparking in his voice. "I'll update you when I make it to the Clear."
"Y-yeah! Perfect! That's great Sabo, I'm sitting at home just like you said–"
Sabo cut the communicator and stuffed it into his pocket. He'd never been one to stick around on a call for too long.
Talking to Luffy had drastically improved his mood. He'd been reminded of what exactly he was doing this far up. Of what he had to protect, and of what he had to get back at all costs. Sabo pushed off the wall, and set off down the tunnel with purpose in his steps.
Don't worry, Luffy. I'll bring Ace home.
…
The communicator cut off, and Luffy deflated in relief. Damn, that had been a close one.
"Who was that?" Law asked. He'd pulled ahead of Luffy on the sidewalk, and was gazing over his shoulder. He made quite the picture, silhouetted by the bright lights ahead of them and cloaked in a layer of heavy smog.
"It was my brother," Luffy answered. He shoved the communicator into his pocket and hurried back to Law's side. "He was checking in with me."
Law snorted, and continued walking once Luffy reappeared beside him. "You're a terrible liar. You're lucky your brother hung up as quickly as he did."
Luffy chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah." If Sabo knew where he was right now… he'd be livid.
He'd kissed the Dregs goodbye hours ago and followed Law onto the Shade. Their mission had begun the second they'd formed their alliance, and Luffy was all in. He wanted to save Ace as fast as he possibly could, and Law was his golden ticket to the Clear. He'd figure out what he'd signed up to help the guy out with once he got there.
The two of them had crossed through a backwater smuggler's gate that Luffy had never used before, and had popped up on a side of the Shade that Luffy had never explored before either. It was the darker side of the factory Layer, where weapons and whimsical machinery were forged. Where the factories were bigger and more active, and the smog and chemical runoff turned sinister and ominous.
It was ten o'clock in the night cycle, but even if the skylights hadn't been off this corner of the Shade would have been pitch black. The smoke in the air hung the thickest here. It was pitch black and reeked of chemical refuse. It poured from vents and smokestacks, twinning around the metal sky and swimming about the eves of the buildings.
Gray smoke lurked over the ground like a blanket, which was typical for the Shade. Puddles of condensation from the factories made the skinny streets slick, and cold liquid slowly turned Luffy's toes numb through his sandals. Usually Luffy and his brothers tagged along with Cranky Crocky while they were on the Shade. They'd break into factories or execute business operations… the brothers always acted as extra muscle.
However, even the likes of Crocodile - one of the biggest named smugglers on the Dregs - steered clear from this side of the Layer. Law was leading Luffy out of the maze of factories and into the residential sector that lined the Layer's walls in a fashion that was not unsimilar to that of the Mid.
Techies worked the factories by day and walked the residential streets by night. It was a labyrinth of apartment complexes, places of business, retailers, bars, and clubs. Lit by golden lamplights that crisscrossed the streets on drooping wires, the pathways wound in confusing patterns that only the civilians knew how to decode.
As Luffy drew closer to the golden glow on the edge of the sea of factories and smog, it became clear that Law was bringing him directly into one of the most taboo locations in the entire Layered City.
Ace and Sabo had avoided the residential areas like the plague, and for good reason. Getting lost on the wrong side of the Shade was possibly one of the worst decisions a person could make…
Luffy, on the other hand, had no such reservations. He grinned wildly as he appreciated the twinkling lights and cramped architecture, more than ready to get lost in the winding streets and stir up as much trouble as possible. His heart thumped in excitement. This was really happening. The further into Ace's rescue mission Luffy walked, the stronger he felt that this would be one hell of an adventure.
He followed Law into the nest of streets with a skip in his step and a giddiness wrestling about in his chest. "Where are we going?" he asked excitedly. His eyes darted about, absorbing everything they possibly could. Techies lounged in storefronts and wandered from building to building with liquor bottles in hand and boisterous laughter on their lips. The entire place was bathed in gold, and Luffy wanted to touch everything.
"We're visiting an acquaintance of mine," Law replied. He grabbed Luffy's collar to prevent him from darting into a nearby bar hosting a wild crowd.
"You're close with the Techies?" Luffy perked up, swiftly lifting a pouch of berries off the belt of a passerby. He tossed it in his hand and eyed a nearby meat stall with glittering eyes.
"You could say that," Law sighed. He snatched the stolen pouch from Luffy's fingers and tossed it onto the ground behind him. "Don't do that," he scolded. "I told you to lay low."
Luffy rolled his eyes. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, can you blame me?"
"We'll eat when we're not so deep in enemy territory," Law muttered. His hand strayed to the top of Luffy's hat. He shoved his head down, hiding his face beneath a straw brim as they passed a group of military soldiers haggling with a store owner.
Luffy always forgot how active the military was on this Layer, what with all the important factory crap they had to watch over. But then again… had there always been this many soldiers milling about?
"They're less present on the back streets," Law spoke softly, his golden eyes trained upon a military outpost built into a nearby building. "Word on the street is that the border to the Mid has been locked down. If we want to cross it we'll need a little… assistance." He swiftly pushed Luffy between the shoulder blades and veered him between two buildings. They trotted down a short flight of steps, and suddenly found themselves on a street that was far less lit.
The crowd had thinned, and the storefronts had grown shadier. The lamplights overhead were worn, casting a mellow blue over cracked stone streets. Law walked with purpose, one hand gripped on the scabbard of his sword and the other hovering closer to Luffy to prevent him from darting off, as he tended to do.
Luffy eyed Law with curiosity as they took turn after turn and trekked deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of streets and stacked buildings. He sure knew his way around. It seemed that Luffy's new ally had a lot more to him than he was letting on.
His lips twitched up in a crooked smirk.
Allies, now where was the fun in that? It was about time Luffy got to know his awesome new mission partner better. Oh, they were going to be best friends.
Luffy bumped Law with his shoulder. "So. Tra-guy."
Law narrowed his eyes and glanced apathetically down at Luffy. "Trafalgar Law."
"Traffy," Luffy continued. "You come around here often?" He jerked his head at the surrounding streets. Bathed in faded light and soaked in spilled beer. The blood stained stones gave the place character. Luffy liked it here.
"On business," Law replied vaguely. He kept his eyes glued ahead of him, refusing to acknowledge Luffy's antics.
"What kinda business?" Luffy pressed.
"Deals and debt collection, if you must know," Law huffed. He glared at a would-be mugger, but the man quickly backed off once he recognized who the man in the fur cap was. Not that Luffy paid any attention to the exchange.
"Borrrringg," Luffy declared. "Do you get into fights a lot?"
Law fixed Luffy with an annoyed glance, but humored his questions in spite of his alleged aggravation. "I try not to."
"Then what's the sword for?" Luffy pressed. He flicked the ornate scabbard playfully, earning a glare from his travel companion.
"It was a… gift," Law muttered as he placed several inches of space between himself and Luffy. It was a sorry attempt, as he discovered immediately. Luffy eliminated the gap between them as soon as it formed.
"How come you wanna go to the Clear so bad?" Luffy asked. He slung his arms behind his head and counted the lamplights as they walked. The second they'd shook on their alliance, Law had picked his sword up and set off directly for the Shade with Luffy in tow. He didn't leave any room for hesitation or second thoughts.
The message had been more than clear: Luffy had agreed to team up, and there was no backing out now.
"Perfect," Law had said after they'd made their deal. "Let's get going, then. We don't have much time." Vague? Very. Suspicious? Most definitely.
Sabo would have called Law volatile and impatient. Ace would have diagnosed him with a stick shoved a little too far up his ass.
But Luffy didn't care. He could sense a certain intensity from Law. He was strong, and Luffy wanted to see what he had up his sleeve for the two of them.
"There's something important," Law said after a moment's hesitation. "Something I need. I've been waiting thirteen years for this chance, and I'm not going to blow it."
Luffy hummed. He glanced at Law from out the corner of his eye, his lips turning up in a crooked smirk. "Good. If you weren't serious then I'd have had to find someone else."
Law glanced down at Luffy, and his lips cracked in the faintest hint of a grin. Luffy felt his stomach quiver in response. "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" the taller man drawled.
Luffy grinned widely at him, and a delighted skip entered his step. They continued on in a comfortable silence for a little while. The streets progressively got darker and more cramped, with puddles of oil and dirty water gathering in jagged potholes. Sparks rained from electrical wires that crisscrossed overhead, and Luffy felt the crown of his head begin to crawl, as it tended to do whenever he found himself in a place where he shouldn't be.
"How much fighting experience do you have?" Law asked out of the blue. "Aside from those rubber tricks of yours."
"I'm a smuggler," Luffy replied, allowing the job description to answer the question for him.
Law hummed. "Good." He stopped before a nondescript metal door, and rapped the hilt of his sword twice against its surface. The racket echoed rather ominously, and Luffy shuffled his feet and glanced about as they waited for a response from within. This place was sketchy as all hell.
"You're not a serial killer, are you?" Luffy joked, feeling the need to break the silence.
Law barked a laugh, a brisk, genuine thing that made Luffy perk up in pleasant surprise. The raven gazed up at him, where Law was smiling in bemusement as he watched the door.
He didn't answer the question.
Before the lack of response could turn awkward, a slat opened up from the other side of the door, revealing a rectangular peephole framing a pair of goggled eyes. "Y'ello?" came a rumbling male voice.
"It's me," Law replied, meeting the goggled gaze.
"Oh? There are quite a few people who claim to associate with this establishment on a first name basis, and not all of them are satisfactory," the man responded in a most difficult manner. Luffy giggled.
Law glared. "Inazuma, open the damn door."
The man on the other side chuckled, "Very well. Welcome in, Trafalgar."
Inazuma vanished from the peephole, and Luffy's eyebrows slowly rose into his hairline as the racket of dozens of locks echoed from within. After a painful few minutes, the door swung open, and the pair were greeted by a tall man with a serious face and a not-so-serious glass of wine hanging from his fingers.
Law gave him a nod of greeting, and then stepped within. Luffy followed along at his heels, and tried to conceal his discomfort when Inazuma slammed the metal door behind them and busied himself with resetting the various locks.
Luffy glanced about, finding himself in a cramped excuse for a room that may as well have been a metal box. There was a very random wooden door on the right wall. It had an expensive looking golden handle. The smuggler in Luffy itched to steal it.
Once he finally finished relocking the door, Inazuma turned to face Law and Luffy. "I assume that you aren't here to perform," he said dryly. Law glared at Inazuma, causing the other man to roll his eyes. "You're here to see Iva, aren't you," he drawled, swirling his glass of wine.
"He's here, isn't he?" Law said gruffly.
Inazuma clucked his tongue. "That's 'she' every other Tuesday, and Wednesdays of the full moon."
Law grumbled and tugged at the bill of his cap. "Sorry."
"She is here," Inazuma sighed, "Although I don't think she'll take too kindly to a visit from you."
"Just bring me to her," Law snapped, impatient.
"Well aren't you as agreeable as ever," Inazuma muttered under his breath as he sauntered over to the wooden door Luffy had been eyeing. He squeezed past the raven, noting the way he'd been poking at the door knob. "Who's the shrimp?"
Luffy opened his mouth to retort, but Law swiftly interrupted him.
"We've formed an alliance," he answered.
Inazuma stared blankly at Law for several seconds, his hand on the doorknob. "Huh." He then flicked his goggled gaze to Luffy. "My greatest condolences." Law growled and shifted his sword from one shoulder to the other. "What was your name?" Inazuma asked.
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to save my brother," Luffy declared, fixing the taller man with a determined glare.
Inazuma's eyebrows rose, and his head cocked to one side. "Oh. That's rather… interesting." Something akin to recognition sparked in those goggled eyes.
Luffy felt a tickle in the back of his mind, something Ace had instructed him years ago… His stomach tensed with a nervous realization, and his fingers twitched with the urge to scratch the side of his neck, beneath his ear. An uncomfortable tension sparked between himself and Inazuma. Ah, shit.
The strange air surrounding Inazuma suddenly dissipated, and he turned the doorknob in his grip. Luffy swallowed his nerves. It was probably nothing then, but he needed to remember to watch his damn mouth in the future.
"Follow me," Inazuma said, sounding almost exasperated. "I'll bring you to Iva."
With that, Inazuma pushed the door open to reveal a sight that Luffy couldn't have prepared himself for if he tried. Loud, upbeat music burst forth, alongside the neon glow of pink stained lamplights and twinkling chandeliers of shattered glass. Inazuma dipped his chin, gesturing to Luffy and Law to follow him as he stepped within.
He led the two of them into a club, probably the liveliest club Luffy had ever had the privilege to step foot inside in his entire life.
The place was huge, full of booths and tables and island bars scattered about in a sea of bodies dressed in glitter and bedazzled clothing. Crackly speakers played pulsing music, to which people danced, sang, and yelled over in all their noise. Shots were knocked back and food was slid onto tables by waitresses with towering hair and beautiful dresses.
Luffy gaped at the wild place, before his face split open in a wild grin to match.
"Welcome to the Kamabakka," Inazuma yelled over the racket. He slammed the wooden door shut behind him, and forced his way through the crowd with Law close on his heels. Luffy, however, was lost to them as soon he stepped within.
He darted off the second Inazuma turned his back, forcing his way through the dense crowd and antsy to join the party. Women danced and chatted while men sang and twirled. A person with androgynous features was quick to pass a shot glass into Luffy's hand as he wiggled past a bar. He grinned his thanks and knocked the glass back without hesitation, earning several cheers from nearby club goers.
Luffy tossed the glass over his shoulder, wincing through the burn in his throat as he explored everything in sight. He swiped a cut of thinly sliced meat off the tray of a nearby server, all too quick to get the bitter taste of alcohol out of his mouth. He was jostled every which way as he walked, and his eardrums were already ringing from all the noise.
"Hell yeah, this is my kinda party!" Luffy said giddily to himself.
He continued weaving through the crowd, determined to explore the entirety of the club before challenging the best dancer in the place to a dance battle and then the beefiest bartender to a fight to the death.
Luffy hummed along to the music that blared, a happy lilt to his step. He clapped hands with people as he passed, and only got slapped on the ass once. Everyone grinned at him and offered him food or drinks! This place was so friendly!
"Come here!" a nearby girl squealed, tugging Luffy towards her by the wrist. She swiped a line of glitter onto the bridge of his nose, before starting a cheer and shoving him back into the crowd.
Luffy laughed, an excited skip entering his step. He could feel a faint buzz of alcohol in his system already, Ace would have loved it here. Based on the gambling table Luffy passed not long after, Sabo would have loved it too.
The crowd began to thin the further Luffy walked, as more people occupied tables rather than the dancefloors and walkways. The lamplights faded from vibrant pink to a cool purple. Stages began to poke out from the ground and back walls, occupied by extravagant performers dressed in drag.
Glitter was tossed into audiences, voices sang, and choreographed dances were performed on stiletto heels. Luffy's eyes darted across the various performances, his lips turned up in a smile. He only stopped, however, when a performance different from all the rest caught his eye.
The flash of fire bit in the corner of his eye, and Luffy slowed to take in the performance of a nearby queen. She had inky black hair and a willowy frame, wearing a glittery indigo dress that sparkled like shattered lamplights. The queen arched her arms in a flourish, and Luffy watched, transfixed, as she clicked her heel on the stage and it burst into brilliant orange flames.
The crowd roared, and Luffy's jaw fell agape. He watched the queen as she leapt and twirled with a practiced grace, her leg lit up in fire as she danced across her stage with tresses of midnight hair trailing her like banners in the wind.
Luffy began wandering closer to the stage, when a hand snaked from the crowd and clamped around his arm.
"Straw Hat!" an aggravated voice snapped.
Luffy startled, and snapped his head behind himself to find Law glaring daggers at him. He fixed the taller man with an excited grin. "Traffy! Where'd you run off to?"
"I'm not the one who ran off," Law huffed. He yanked Luffy by the arm and hauled him with purpose towards the back of the Kamabakka, leaving the queen with the midnight hair behind them.
"I swear, it's like you're an untrained dog," Law griped. "Running off the second I let you out of my sight."
Luffy snickered unremorsefully, swiftly snatching a fruity drink off a nearby tray.
"Give me that," Law muttered, snatching the glass from Luffy's hands before he could chug the whole thing down. He drained half the glass before tossing it haphazardly over his shoulder, not unlike Luffy had earlier.
Law had to slap Luffy's hands to prevent him from stealing food from a poor waitress' tray. "Keep your hands to yourself, by the goddess," he cursed, "And is that glitter on your nose?"
"No," Luffy lied with a giggle.
Law rolled his eyes and turned to face forward. His hand slid down Luffy's arm to loop around his wrist, not letting go as he led him to where Inazuma had attempted to bring them. "This is a serious matter," Law complained. "It'll take a miracle to get us onto the Mid with the current climate on the border, and Ivankov is the only one who can pull it off. Don't fuck this up."
"Sure, whatever you say, Traffy," Luffy drawled. This meeting didn't seem very serious to him. They were in a drag club, after all. He tossed a handful of glitter onto the back of Law's head, giggling at his work. There, now the grumpy man matched the atmosphere better.
With a considerable amount of difficulty, Law managed to drag Luffy's stubborn ass to the very back corner of the Kamabakka. Here the lamplights had faded to an ominous red, a deep maroon that stained the whites of eyes and made Luffy's teeth flash in their ever prominent grin. The noise of the wild club faded to a dull hum in the background, and Inazuma nodded in thanks to Law where he stood leaning against a booth table tucked against the very back wall.
There were several tables this far back, though most of them were empty. The characters who occupied the booths were shady, and for good reason. The Kamabakka had to stay funded somehow, and it was clear to Luffy that smuggling was the main source of income keeping it afloat.
He could tell.
You could learn to feel the slimy sensation of illegal transactions in the air like a film of mist if you stayed in the business long enough. When Luffy was brought to the table and introduced to the boss of the club, his suspicions were confirmed. He knew a smuggler when he saw one.
"You made it," Inazuma drawled in a tone laced with sarcasm. He gestured inside the booth, where a tall figure was waiting with arms crossed and head tilted down.
"Thanks," Law muttered, before shoving Luffy into the booth with a heavy hand to his back. He was quick to follow, making sure to box Luffy into an inside seat so he couldn't run off again.
"Her Majesty," Inazuma announced in his most genuine tone thus far, "Our Queen, Emporio Ivankov."
Luffy gazed curiously at the figure who sat across the table. They had curves that would have made Ace drool, dressed in skimpy spandex and haloed in a curtain of curly purple hair. Obscured in a melodramatic shadow, lips sheathed in indigo lipstick flicked up in a smirk.
"You have a lot of nerve, showing your face here," Ivankov purred. Her voice was silken, yet raspy like the smoke that blanketed the Shade. They folded acrylic tipped nails together on the table, eyes still concealed in shadow. Tension wound up Luffy's spine like a spring, this person was dangerous.
"Trafalgar D. Water Law," Ivankov incanted. Law stiffened at the name.
Luffy swallowed, his eyes flicking to Law's in question. Those golden eyes were obscured by the brim of his cap. His fingers went white-knuckled on the scabbard of his sword.
Ivankov chuckled humorlessly. Her nails clacked against the surface of the table, the threat was clear as day. "You have five seconds to give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now."
A chill ran up Luffy's spine, he braced to run or fight. He'd seen plenty a deal go sour while working odd jobs for Crocky, and if Iva was as big named as Law made them seem she was then–
"Kidding!" The entire mood spun on a dime.
Luffy choked on air, his eyes blowing wide as saucers as he gawked across the table at Ivankov, who was now grinning happily. She reached across the table with a gloved arm to pinch at Law's cheek. He tried to shy away, but escape was futile.
"You know I could never bring myself to kill you. How's my favorite Candy-Boy doing?" they cooed.
"Iva," Law greeted as if he was reading an obituary. His shoulders were hunched up in embarrassment.
Luffy watched this exchange with a growing grin. Unable to hold it in, he burst out laughing. "Damn! You really scared me! I thought for sure you were gonna kill him!"
Iva's laughter joined Luffy's. "Who, little old me? I would never!"
"I like you!" Luffy decided. He cackled and shoved playfully at Law. "How do you know 'er? Someone boring like you, I was expecting another Cranky Crocky!"
Law slouched in the booth, trapped between Iva and Luffy in all of their amusement. "She's a business partner," he explained gruffly.
Iva giggled good naturedly and leaned across the table with their chin propped on their hands. "How have you been, Law-Boy? It's been almost twenty-four entire hours since the last time you dropped by!"
Law prickled at the jab and glared. "Fine. No thanks to you."
Iva chuckled darkly. "You even brought a friend with you. Usually you work alone. I wonder what changed?"
The two of them shared a loaded stare across the table. Law was the first to look away.
"Who's this lovely young man?" Iva asked, turning her attention upon Luffy.
"My name's Luffy, and I'm gonna save my older brother," the man in question declared.
"Oh?" Iva hummed, eyebrows perking up. Inazuma swiftly leaned over and whispered something into their ear. Iva's eyebrows raised even further. "Oh! Well isn't that interesting!" They reached across the table and extended a hand to Luffy. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Luffy happily took her hand and shook it. "Yeah!"
"My greatest condolences," Iva said in a playful tone, their eyes flicking to Law. "Your new friend here isn't the most… agreeable person out there." Inazuma had shown the same exact response to their alliance.
Law rolled his eyes.
Luffy snickered, "He doesn't like glitter very much." He punctuated with a heavy pat to Law's shoulder.
"That he does not! Truly a shame!" Iva agreed. "Now, enough pleasantries." She rested her elbows on the table and leaned closer. "What brings you to my humble abode?" Their eyes turned serious, and Luffy watched as Law held another staring contest with Iva.
"Get me to the Mid," Law said after a painful few seconds. Inazuma facepalmed where he stood.
Iva sighed through their nose and leaned fully into the booth. She narrowed her eyes at Law. "You're a pain in the ass, but I can't sit back and watch you get yourself killed. If I grant you passage to the Mid, you'll undoubtedly try to weasel your way onto the Clear. And as I've told you, I'm not sending someone to the Clear on their own. Not with all the shit the military has been pulling these past couple of weeks. Not you, not any of my dear okamas, not anyone."
"Tch," Law scoffed. "Since when do you play the hero?"
Iva's eyebrow twitched. "My hands aren't clean of blood. I'll freely admit that. However I refuse to sit back and watch another execution. You're in my circle, Law-Boy, whether you like it or not. I care deeply for my subjects, the new and the old." Her eyes flicked to Luffy and back.
Law grumbled and uncrossed his legs. "You expect me to sit on my ass? If you won't get me to the Mid then I'll find someone else."
"And who would that be?" Iva laughed humorlessly, stopping Law from storming off with their words. "You really think you'd find a smuggler on the Shade who'd be willing to go behind my back and take a job I turned down? I own this Layer, boy. You sealed your coffin by coming to me first."
"I'll get that damn Key," Law snapped. "I finally have my opening, and I–"
"-I'm asking you not to jump the gun," Iva scolded. "Have you thought any of this through? What are you going to do, bust down the door to his kingdom and take him out on the spot? You and what army?"
Law fumed, grinding his teeth so hard that Luffy could hear the noise. Iva and Law stared each other down once again. He glanced between the two of them. He didn't know what all this haggling was about, and quite frankly he didn't care.
Luffy was here to do one thing, save Ace.
Well, maybe two things. He was also going to help his new friend with his own mission on the Clear. But they couldn't do any of that until they got off the damn Shade.
"I'm here," Luffy spoke up. Three pairs of eyes fell upon him. He smirked, and flicked the rim of his hat. "You won't be sending Law on his own to the Clear, cause I'll be there to watch his back."
Iva quirked an eyebrow.
Luffy slapped his fist into his palm. "We're strong. The Traffy-Luffy-Smuggler-Alliance! We're gonna make it to the Clear, and the military can shoot me and suck my dying dick before they stop us."
"What he said," Law agreed, crossing his arms as he challenged Ivankov alongside his new alliance partner.
Inazuma snorted into his glass of wine. "He's got quite the mouth on him."
Iva sighed, then shook their head. "Well. I did tell you that I wouldn't send you to the Clear without someone to watch your back… and I suppose that Straw-Boy is as good a person as any." Her eyes fixed on Luffy, "Are you Devil Born?"
Luffy startled. That was a… difficult question. "Uh…"
"That answers that," Iva sighed. "At least you'll have both your abilities at your disposal. Just don't get caught. Sending two Dirties to the Clear is dangerous in its own right, but sending two Devil Born Dirties might as well be a death sentence. Watch yourselves."
Iva glanced at Luffy out of the corner of their eye, where he was glancing at them in suspicion. She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I'm not going to drown you alive. Inazuma and I are just like the both of you. We know better than to out each other." Inazuma nodded in agreement.
Luffy found himself trusting Ivankov a hell of a lot more, as well as the Kamabakka as a whole. An entire club that was completely Devil Born friendly… that was rare. And to think that Ace and Sabo would have died before coming to this side of the Shade.
Iva sighed rather melodramatically, "I can't believe I'm doing this. I'll get you to the Mid, alright, but you'll owe me." She pointed threateningly at Law.
"Of course," he replied with the tiniest hint of a smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
"Yay! We're going to the Mid!" Luffy cheered.
Iva smiled to themselves, gesturing with her arm to someone out in the crowd. "You made a good choice, coming to me. I have smuggling holes in smuggling holes, the military can try their damnedest but they'll never shut my business down."
Luffy wriggled in excitement. Crocky monopolized the most smuggling holes to the Mid out of all the criminals on the Dregs, but even he had to find new pickings every few months when his runs got busted.
"The border is a hellscape right about now, but I've got an inside man," Iva winked.
Luffy grinned and tried to contain his excitement. Law hummed and scrutinized Iva. "One of your secret routes?"
Iva huffed in confirmation, "If you must know." She turned her attention away from the booth, where a graceful figure was hurrying over to their table. Iva's face broke out in a kind grin, and they held out their hand in greeting. A queen from a neighboring stage stopped beside the booth and cupped Iva's hand in hers with a cheerful smile.
"You called me?" she asked. Her voice was soft and painfully kind. Luffy glanced up at the queen Iva had called over, and his heart skipped a beat when he recognized the one with the midnight hair! With the fire performance he'd been watching! Luffy took in her face, curious now that she was up close. She had curly eyebrows (which was kinda weird), and deep, blue eyes that edged on black. Her lipstick was a deep purple, matching with Iva's.
"Could you do a favor for me, Candy-Girl?" Iva cooed, almost in a motherly tone. A far cry from the tone they used to address Law. Luffy snickered, Iva clearly played favorites.
"Anything for you, Iva," the queen with the midnight hair nodded. Waves of pitch silk swished about her shoulders with the motion, half of her face was obscured by fringe.
"One of my Candy-Boys needs safe passage to the Mid for himself and his friend, would you be a dear and bring them with you when you return home at the stroke of midnight?"
The queen raised a single delicate eyebrow, and glanced rather judgmentally down at Law and Luffy. "Them?" she asked, her voice having dropped an octave as it lost its cheerful tone in talking to Ivankov.
"Mmhm!" Iva nodded. "Law-Boy looks dreadful, but he'll behave. And you're a good little thing, aren't you, Straw-Boy?"
"My name's Luffy!" the man in question replied, giving the midnight haired queen a grin. "Are you gonna bring us to the Mid?"
Her lips twitched up in a smile. "I suppose that I am. My name is Obsidian Black, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She gave a curtsey, and Luffy grinned. Law rolled his eyes at the antics, and swiftly made his way out of the booth.
"What do you want, money? A free operation?" he drawled in Iva's direction.
The Kamabakka Queen hummed, tapping an acrylic fingertip on their chin. "A favor. I'll take a favor."
Law frowned, then sighed as he adjusted his cap. "Fair enough. Luffy, come on. We're leaving." The raven grinned and leapt to his feet, bouncing on his heels as he stood between Law and Obsidian Black. Glancing at Ivankov over his shoulder, Law gave a solemn nod. "It's a deal."
Iva's lips curl up in a smile. "Of course it is. You'd be lost without me."
Law rolled his eyes and turned on his heel.
"This way," Obsidian beckoned, leading Law and Luffy into the dense crowds of the Kamabakka in the direction of the door. Ivankov and Inazuma watched them leave, not looking away even as the three vanished into the crowds.
With a thoughtful hum, Iva propped her chin on her hand.
Inazuma wordlessly slipped into the booth that Law and Luffy had left open. He swirled the wine in his glass. "Something on your mind?" he asked.
Emporio Ivankov's face set into a forlorn expression. "I haven't heard that name in quite a while. It took everything in me to hold my tongue."
Inazuma nodded in silent agreement.
"The son of Dragon," Iva breathed. "What's he doing, crawling from the cracks in the Layers now of all times? I'd assumed he died thirteen years ago."
"Things are beginning to stir up, aren't they?" Inazuma mused.
Iva chuckled, shaking their head. "Indeed. I can only wonder what this cruel world has in store for us this time around."